ADDRESS  ALL  BUSINESS  COMMUNICATIONS  TO  THE  COMPANY. 


CO  fSTlt  IT( ’.'I'l  0>f 


HTiti^trriTR^VL  'svoRiv 

'ncvr^JSJMiJSSio^N  xowmiH 


CABLE  AOORESS, 
BLAWCO  PITTSBURGH, 
CODES. 

A  B  C  WESTERN  UNtON. 
LI  CBERS 


GENERAL  OFFICES  PITTS  BU  R  G  H.  PA 


WORKS 


BRANCH  OFFICES 


HOBOKEN  PA 


NEW  YORK  .  CHICAGO. 


IBS  BROADWAY, 


Ni5>v  York 


April  4,  1916 


SALES  DEPARTMENT 


I.Ir.  '.7.  F.  :rerry, 

West  ooraerville.  Mass. 

Dear  .lir;-- 

7fe  have  your  postal  of  the  3rd  inst . , 
and  are  mailing  you  under  another  cover,  copy  of 
our  bulletin  f&G,  covering  steel  forms  for  wall  con¬ 
struction,  ’-63,  for  floor  forms  and  Book  of  Plans  for 
concrete  houses,  all  of  which  we  trust  you  will  find 
of  interest. 


If  there  is  any  furtlier  information 


that  you  desire  in  connection  with  our  steel  forms,  we 
will  bo  very  glad  to  send  it  to  you  on  receipt  of 
your  further  advices. 


Very  truly  yours 


Eastern  Salesnl.'anager 


63-66-Book 


ALL  AGREEMENTS  CONTINGENT  UPON 
STRIKES  ACC1DENTS.OR  OTHER  CAUSES 
BEYOND  OUR  CONTROL 


Blaw  Steel  Construction  Company 

Designers  and  Builders  of 

STEEL  FORMS  FOR  CONCRETE  CONSTRUCTION 

GENERAL  OFFICES: 

Westinghouse  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

New  York  Office,  -  165  Broadway 

Chicago  Office,  -  917  Ashland  Block 

WORKS : 

Reynoldsville,  Pa.  -  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Eastern  Storage  Yard,  -  Nepperhan,  N.  Y. 


STEEL  FORMS  FOR  EVERY  KIND  OF  CONCRETE  CONSTRUCTION 


Copyright 


Blaw  Steel  Construction  Company 


B 

PLANS  POP^ 

SMALL  HOUSES 

OP 

POURED  CONCRETE 

as  submiffed  m  a  Compefition  for  Prizes  given,  by 

THE  BLAW  STEEL  CONSTPUCTION  CO. 

WESTINGHOUSE  BUILDING,  PITTSBUPGH,  PA. 


E  PLANS  herein  published  were 
received  in  response  to  the  following 
announcement  : 

1’he  Blaw  Steel  Centering  Company, 
Westinghouse  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  offers  prizes  for  the  best  plans 
and  specifications  for  small  concrete  residences,  as  follows: 

$100.00  for  the  best  set  of  plans 

75.00  for  the  next  best  set  of  plans 
50.00  for  the  next  best  set  of  plans 
25.00  each  for  the  next  best  three  sets  of  plans 

Designs  must  be  in  our  hands  by  May  the  15th,  1912.  We  will 
select  the  ten  which,  in  our  opinion,  possess  the  greatest  merit  and 
submit  them  to  Professor  A.  D.  F.  Hamlin,  of  Columbia  University,  for 
final  selection  of  the  most  meritorious. 

The  competition  is  open  for  everybody. 

Awards  will  be  made  on  the  basis  of  merit,  it  being  our  desire  to 
have  presented  for  the  consideration  of  owners  suggestive  designs  that 
will  give  the  greatest  value  for  the  expenditure,  and  also  new  ideas  that 
w’ill  tend  to  stimulate  the  construction  of  poured  concrete  houses.  It  is 
immaterial  in  this  contest  whether  the  value  is  secured  by  utility,  beauty, 
novelty,  fireproof  qualities,  or  by  combinations  of  these. 

Following  the  award  of  the  prizes,  the  plans  of  the  successful 
contestants,  with  names  and  addresses  of  the  designers,  will  be  published 
in  a  booklet,  w^hich  will  be  given  wide  circulation  among  prospective 
builders  to  encourage  the  construction  of  concrete  houses. 

CONDITIONS  GOVERNING  THE  COMPETITION. 

Foundations  and  outside  walls  must  be  of  poured  concrete,  reinforced 
wTere  necessary.  Floors,  ceilings,  partitions,  roofs,  porches  and  stairways 
may  be  of  concrete  or  of  any  other  material,  as  the  judgment  of  the 
designer  may  determine. 

While  the  house  may  be  of  any  design,  suitable  for  any  location, 
whether  on  level  or  sloping  ground,  and  adapted  to  any  climate,  and 


while  such  matters  as  furring  and  determining  the  number  of  stories  are 
left  entirely  to  the  designer,  the  total  cost  of  the  house,  ready  for 
occupancy,  must  not  exceed  $3,000.00. 

The  drawings  required  are  plans  of  each  story  at  a  scale  of 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  the  foot.  The  first  story  plan  should  show  the 
lay-out  of  the  grounds  immediately  adjoining,  but  need  not  show  the 
entire  lot.  There  is  also  required  a  perspective;  the  extreme  right  or 
left  corner  of  the  house  is  to  be  in  the  picture  plane  and  to  be  drawn  to 
the  scale  of  one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  the  foot. 

These  drawings  are  to  be  arranged  on  one  sheet  of  paper  not 
exceeding  twenty-two  inches  by  thirty-one  inches  in  size  and  mounted 
on  stiff  cardboard.  The  form  of  their  presentation  is  to  be  left  to  the 
judgment  of  the  individual  competitors,  but  they  are  to  be  rendered  in 
black  and  white. 

Specifications  must  accompany  the  drawings.  They  must  briefiy 
describe  the  method  of  construction  adopted  for  partitions,  floors,  stairs 
and  roof;  the  method  of  placing  doors  and  window  frames,  flues  and 
pipes;  the  heating,  lighting  and  plumbing  systems;  and  the  exterior  and 
interior  finish. 

^he  contestants  must  enclose  with  plans  and  specifications  a  detailed 
estimate  of  cost,  in  which  the  following  specified  unit  costs  shall  be 
assumed  for  the  concrete  work:  — 

Reinforcing  steel  in  place,  per  pound,  .  .  .  .  $  .03 

Concrete  in  place,  exclusive  of  Forms,  per  cubic  foot,  .20 

f’orni  cost,  where  Blaw  Steel  Forms  are  used,  per  square  foot,  -oiM 
Form  co.st,  where  Wooden  Forms  are  used,  per  square  foot.  .15 

Estimates  on  other  parts  of  the  work  must  specify  the  locality  where 
the  prices  will  he  found  to  apply. 

No  sienature  or  other  mark  tending  to  reveal  the  authorship  of  the 
design  is  to  he  placed  upon  drawings,  specifications  or  estimates,  which 
are  to  he  mailed  to  Blaw  Steel  Centering  Company,  Westinghouse 
Building,  Pittshurgh,  Pa.,  under  one  cover.  A  plain  white  envelope 
containing  the  name  and  address  of  contestant  shall  likewise  be  enclivsed. 

The  design  and  the  envelope  will  be  given  the  same  number  upon 
receipt,  and  the  envelope  will  not  be  opened  until  after  award  is  made. 


N  THE  following  pages  we  are  reproducing  drawings  of  the  six  prize  winners  and 
MM  seventeen  others  which  offer  interesting  suggestions  to  prospective  builders.  In 
response  to  the  announcement  on  the  left  hand  page  a  great  number  of  plans  were 
received.  Thirteen  sets  of  these  plans  were  submitted  to  Professor  A.  D.  F.  Hamlin,  of 
Columbia  University,  who  selected  the  six  best  plans. 

Specifications  accompanying  the  various  plans  are  not  reproduced.  Instead  of 
reproducing  these  specifications  we  have  indicated  in  the  brief  outlines  on  pages  20,  21 
and  22  the  principal  points  which  ought  to  be  given  special  attention  in  preparing 
specifications  for  concrete  houses. 

We  wish  to  acknowledge  our  thanks  to  Professor  A.  D.  F.  Hamlin  for  his  thorough 
examination  of  the  plans  submitted  to  him.  The  reasons  assigned  for  his  selection  of  the 
winners  appear  to  us  convincing. 


BLAW  STEEL  CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 
PITTSBURGH,  PA. 


AWARDED 
FIRST  PRIZE 

Design  “  E,”  submitted  by 
E.  Parmiter,  Room  202, 
25  West  Forty-second  St., 
New  York  City. 

Exterior  walls  and  foun¬ 
dations  of  concrete.  Exte¬ 
rior  plastered  with  cement 
plaster.  Wooden  floors, 
stud  partitions, shingle  roof, 
stained.  House  heated  by 
hot  air  and  wired  for  electric 
lights.  Prof.  Hamlin  com¬ 
ments: 

“  The  best  of  all  the 
plans  from  the  point  of 
view  of  simplicity,  spa¬ 
ciousness  and  general  con¬ 
venience.  Adequate  en¬ 
trance  lobby;  living  room 
admirable,  13  x  21 
dining  room  fair,  12' x  12'; 
kitchen  excellent,  12'x  12'; 
pantry;  three  bed  rooms, 

I2'xI2',  loy'x 

12',  each  with  closets;  bath 
room  all  have  good 

head  room;  all  rooms  well 
lighted;  good  porch.  Plan 
of  second  story  superposes 
well  on  first,  one  chimney 
stack.  Exterior  simple  and 
attractive,  good  lines  and 
masses,  simple  roof.  Plan 
of  grounds  shows  admirable 
taste.  Entire  design  shows 
artistic  skill  and  taste. 
Cubic  contents,  exclusive 
of  porch,  15,773  feet  from 
cellar  floor  to  middle  of 
height  of  gable  roof; 
porches,  2,480  cubic  feet.” 

Could  be  built  for  j53,ooo. 


6 


'  5ipr '■  Elivotiom  ' 


'  PrD5'’rcTiYr  ■ 


'  Competition  ' 

•  Po  ??•  A  • 

'  Concrete  ^  House  ' 

•  To  *  Cost • 

'  •  Tjiou5and  •  Dollars  • 


*  3rcoNpTLOop'f\oN ' 

3cOVt_  Of  PpaWlMGS 


’  T)Q5t’  Tloop'  Plon  ’ 


AWARDED 
SECOND  PRIZE 

Design  submitted  by  William  C. 
Lurkey,  144  Winslow  Avenue. 
Buffalo.  N.  Y. 

“Outer  walls  and  porch  posts 
to  be  of  monolithic  concrete  con¬ 
struction.  Cellar  and  porch  floors 
to  be  concrete.  Porch  floor  to  be 
marked  off  into  8  "  x  8  "  squares 
as  shown  on  plan.  Outer  concrete 
walls  to  be  6  "  thick,  reinforced 
with  H  "  vertical  and  horizontal 
rods  18"  apart,  furred  on  inside 
with  wood  furring  strips  and 
plastered.  Cellar  under  kitchen, 
dining  and  living  rooms.  Walls  to 
be  12  "  thick. 

“.\11  first  floor  partitions  3" 
thick  of  concrete,  and  plastered. 

“All  inside  partitions  on  second 
floor  to  be  2  ”  X  4  "  studs  20  " 
o.  c.  lathed  and  plastered. 

“  Floor  joists  2  "  x  10  " — 16  " 
— o.  c.  ^ 

“  Roof  rafters  2  "  x  6  " — 20  ' 
— o.  c. 

“  Floors  to  be  oak  in  living  and 
dining  rooms;  balance  hard  pine. 

“  All  inside  trim  cypress  stained 
an  oak  color. 

“Window  frames  built  into 
walls  with  a  2  "  reveal  on  outside 
and  flush  on  inside;  all  exterior 
trim  to  be  cypress  stained  a  dark 
brown  color;  sash  of  white  pine 
painted.  Chimney  to  be  lined 
with  flue  tile  built  into^  concrete. 
Soil  and  vent  pipes  built  into  walls. 

“Roof  shingled  with  red  asbes¬ 
tos  cement  shingles. 

“Living  room  and  dining  room 
to  be  rough  floated  plaster  tinted; 
balance  of  rooms  hard  plaster, 
white  finish;  all  doors,  sash  and 
trim  to  be  of  stock  pattern.” 

Hot  air  furnace  and  laundry 
tubs  in  cellar. 

Could  be  built  for  £3,000. 


!  I  for  t]|! 

a.sm!aIlLcon^ 


\l\  HOU£Ei 

Fjoi  II  i 

iLXw  5TtEL 
iRlINiC  (iO.I 


AWARDED  THIRD  PRIZE. 

Design  submitted  by  Jack  Lehti,  4th  and  T  Sts.,  N.  E.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

“The  exterior  walls,  foundations,  footings,  chimney  and  basement  floor  shall 
be  of  concrete.  The  first  and  second  floors  shall  be  of  wooden  constinction.  All 
partititions  shall  be  of  stud,  lath  and  plaster.  The  roof  shall  be  of  wooden  con¬ 
struction,  with  shingle  roofing  left  in  its  natural  condition.  All  flashing  shall  be 
copper.  Finished  floors  generally  shall  be  wood,  with  exception  of  bath  room,  which 
shall  be  tile.  All  exterior  trim  shall  be  painted  white.  Shutters  shall  be  painted  a 
dark  green.  Interior  trim  shall  be  specified.  Plumbing,  heating  and  lighting  shall 
be  installed  and  connected  according  to  prevailing  regulations.  Steel  reinforcing  rods 
shall  be  provided  for  all  openings  to  act  as  lintels.  All  exterior  steps  shall  be  of 
brick,  and  floors  to  same  shall  be  tile  laid  on  a  bed  of  cinder  concrete.” 

Contents,  14,720  cubic  feet.  Porch,  1.413  cubic  feet. 

Could  be  built  for  $2,Soo. 


Design  submitted  by  Hugo  Logemann,  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin. 


Design  submitted  by 
F.  W.  Kervick, 

706  Cottage  Grove  Avenue,  South  Bend,  Ind. 

9 _ 


Design  submitted  by  Norman  B.  Baker,  1516  Jacob  Street,  Troy,  N.  Y. 


10 


Design  submitted  by 

Ernest  C.  Redstone,  I157  Forest  A-venue,  New  York  City. 


AWARDED  FOURTH  PRIZE. 

Design  submitted  by  Grover  Lippevt,  418  W.  Doty  Street,  Madison,  Wis. 


Design  submitted  by  Charles  E.  Anderson,  25  News-Press  Building,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


12 


Design  submitted  by 
Ernest  E.  Weihe, 

1102  Fulton  Street,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 


Design  submitted  by 

J.  Raymond  Atkinson  and  Henry  G.  Schaefer, 
2122  Sedgely  Ave., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


VAPD 


6E.co/io  yv-ooR 


'X  A.onALL  COnOZEJL  12C.XlDEnCE, 


\  Y  TO  C0.5T 

fS  THOViAnO  DOLLARS. 


Design  submitted  by  Edwin  B.  Vollmer,  Tiffany  Studios,  45th  St.  and  Madison  Ave.,  New  York. 


Design  submitted  by  Norman  Baird  Baker,  1516  Jacob  St.,  Troy,  N.  . 


IS 


Design  submitted  by  R.  I.  \  aughn,  506  T  St.,  N.  \V.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Design  submitted  by 
John  T.  Gillig, 
1905  G  St.,  N.  W.. 
Washington,  D.  C. 


rL<soc.  Plan 


Plan 


cor]Fr.T\T\ou 

ro^  A 

AMALL  CONCttTL 
KEAIDCNCC 

COHDWCTZD  vr 

THE  DLAW/TEEL 
■CCNTCEING 
CO  ■ 

PtTTx^DO'^G 


Design  submitted  by 
M.  G.  Kingsley, 
Feeding  Hills,  Mass. 


Design  submitted  by 
Edward  G.  Stahr, 
16  Reese  St., 
Buffalo,  N.  V. 


17 


AWARDED  FOURTH  PRIZE. 
Design  by  Everett  H.  Crabb, 

904  State  Life  Building,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

x8 


Design  submitted  by 
W.  Stuart  Pave)', 
527  Fifth  Ave., 
New  York. 


Design  submitted  by  E.  Parmiter,  Room  202,  25  W.  42nd  St.,  New  York  City,  who  won  first  prize  with  another  design. 

_ IQ _ 


•sreoNO  •  ruooR  pi-an 


•'A-5/^ALL'5U5U!^DAM  •nonil- 


Suggestions  for  Specifications  for  a  House  with  Poured  Concrete  Outer  Walls 

The  advantages  of  the  house  with  poured  concrete  outer  walls,  as  compared  with  the  frame,  brick, 
stucco  or  cement  block  house,  are  evident.  The  house  with  poured  concrete  outer  walls  is  stronger, 
warmer  in  winter,  cooler  in  summer,  more  durable,  and  safer  from  damage  by  weather  and  fire. 

Concrete  Masonry.  All  foundations,  exterior  walls,  basement  floors  and  first  floor  porches  shall  be  of 
concrete  mixed  in  approved  proportions  of  Portland  cement,  sand  and  gravel,  or  crushed  stone.  The  mixture 
should  be  equivalent  in  density  and  cement  contents  to  that  of  concrete  made  of  one  bag  barrel)  of  cement, 
zyi  cubic  feet  of  clean  sand  and  5  cubic  feet  of  washed  gravel,  as  these  materials  are  ordinarily  furnished  for  such 
w'o’rk  where  the  gravel  and  sand  are  obtained  by  dredging.  This  is  not  to  exclude  the  use  of  bank  gravel  or 
run-of-bar  gravel,  provided  the  proportions  are  properly  adjusted  by  adding  screened  gravel  to  obtain  a  mixture 
equal  to  that  specified.  Crushed  stone  of  suitable  fineness  and  quality  may  be  substituted  for  screened  gravel. 
The  mixture  requires  about  a  barrel  and  a  quarter  of  cement  to  the  cubic  }'^ard  of  concrete. 

Thickness  of  Walls.  Building  laws  applying  to  each  locality  must  be  followed.  These  are  often  inconsistent 
with  one  another,  and  usually  are  based  upon  former  or  existing  laws  drawn  with  reference  to  brick  or  stone 
masonry.  \\  here  laws  do  not  require  greater  thickness  the  following  will  be  found  ample  : 

Footings  18  inches  thick  (in  firm  soil). 

Foundations  12  inches  thick  (in  cellars  8  feet  deep  in  cut). 

Foundations  6  to  9  inches  thick  (in  shallow  cellars  and  raised  cottages). 

Superstructure  6  inches  thick  (one  or  two  stories). 

These  thicknesses  maybe  increased  if  desired.  Increasing  the  thickness  of  the  outside  walls  results  in  more 
uniform  temperature  within  the  house,  especially  where  there  is  to  be  no  furring  on  the  inside.  Walls  of  barns, 
garages  and  outbuildings  may  be  made  four  inches,  or  even  three  inches,  thick,  if  desired,  with  satisfactory  results. 
Forms.  Blaw  Steel  House  Forms  to  be  used  (for  details  see  Blaw  Bulletins). 

Reinforcement.  To  care  for  tensile  strains  and  temperature  variations,  reinforcement  should  consist  of  suitable 
steel  rods  placed  over  door  and  window  openings,  and  of  steel  rods  inch  in  diameter  placed  vertical!}-  and 
horizontally  in  walls  at  intervals  of  two  feet  or  less. 

Surface  Finish.  Trowel  finish  by  a  competent  finisher  should  be  applied  to  all  cement  floors,  porches  and 
other  surfaces  where  called  for  on  plans.  This  finish  may  be  applied  to  walls  also  if  desired.  It  leaves  a  smooth, 
hard  surface. 


Pointing  up  with  cement  mortar  mixed  in  proportions  of  one  of  cement  to  zyi  of  sand  is  required  or  t  e 
ends  of  all  slots  left  by  spacers.  This  must  be  done  within  half  a  day  of  the  removal  of  the  spacers,  while  t  e 
wall  is  still  very  moist.  Any  blemishes  in  the  surface  of  the  wall  that  may  occur  owing  to  faulty  spading,  riuxing 
or  placing  of  concrete  must  be  remedied  when  forms  are  removed  and  the  wall  left  in  smooth,  presentable  con  ^  ition. 

Roughening  of  the  exterior  surface  of  the  walls,  if  desired,  may  be  done  in  several  ways.  The  easiest  to 
apply  are:  Rubbing  with  carborundum  brick,  which  may  be  done  at  any  time,  even  when  the  wall  is  o  , 
but  is  easier  on  a  green  wall;  and  scrubbing  with  a  stiff  brush,  which  requires  more  judgment,  as  it  must  be 
done  immediately  after  forms  are  removed.  Washing  with  diluted  muriatic  and  may  be  done  m  such  a  wa> 
as  to  remove  the  skin  coat  of  cement;  and  bush  hammering  gives  something  like  a  natura  stone  hammere 
surface.  All  roughening  of  walls  is  unnecessary  in  most  low-priced  houses,  but  may  be  applied  as  embellishment 

to  large  surfaces  or  panels.  .  ,  ,  ,  j 

Stucco,  Slap  Dash  and  Pchble  Dash  finishes  may  be  applied  if  desired.  These,  too,  add  to  the  expense  an 

serve  no  useful  purpose.  Their  value  as  ornamentation  on  poured  concrete  is  questionable. 

Painting  exterior  of  concrete  walls  may  be  done  with  satisfactory  results.  Color  may  be  added  in  t  is 
way  The  usual  purpose  of  such  paint,  however,  is  waterproofing.  Proper  painting  of  concrete  walls  keeps  them 
drv,  and  is  desirable  on  this  account  on  outside  walls  that  are  not  to  be  furred  on  the  inside.  Painting  is  not 
necessary  if  the  inside  walls  are  furred,  but  it  may  be  desirable.  Paint  for  concrete  is  not  the  same  as  for 

woodwork.  Suitable  paint  must  be  procured.  ,,  -r  i  ■  v  i  i 

Plastering  may  be  applied  direct  to  the  interior  surface  of  concrete  walls  if  the- exterior  is  suitabh-  painte  , 

otherwise  the  walls  should  first  be  furred.  When  applied  direct  to  concrete  a  very  thin  coat  of  white  plaster  is 

all  that  need  be  used.  ,  ,  ,  r 

Furring  may  be  applied  to  avoid  dampness,  or  to  secure  additional  warmth.  Tile  may  be  used  for  this, 

or  lath  mav  be  applied  to  wooden  nailing  strips.  Furring  adds  considerably  to  the  cost  of  a  house,  and  is 
often  omitted  in  the  less  expensive  houses.  Whether  or  not  to  apply  furring  is  largely  to  be  determined  by 


considerations  of  climate. 

Chimneys  should  be  of  concrete,  enclosing  clay  flue  linings. 

Window  Frames  should  fit  between  wall  form  panels  and  be  concreted  in  place. 

Joists  are  built  into  the  concrete  as  the  walls  are  poured.  ^ 

Partitions,  floors,  ceilings,  stairs,  interior  trim,  roof,  heating,  lighting  and  plumbing  systems  may  be 
specified  as  in  any  frame  or  brick  house,  as  the  owner  may  prefer. 


Suggestions  for  Specifications  for  a  House  with  Poured  Concrete 
Outer  Walls,  Partitions  and  Floors. 

Such  a  house  is  itself  non~burnable,  and  as  nearly  complete  a  protection  for  its  contents  against  fire  as  has  been 
developed.  It  is  also  very  strong,  durable,  warm  in  winter  and  cool  in  summer,  requires  little  or  no  repairs,  and  suffers 
no  deterioration  due  to  decay.  It  is  also  practically  vermin  proof. 

The  preceding  specifications  should  apply  to  this  work,  supplemented  as  follows: 

Concrete  Masonry.  All  foundations,  walks,  floors,  stairways  and  roofs  should  be  of  concrete,  reinforced  where 
necessary  for  tensile  strains. 

Thickness  of  Floors,  and  dimensions  of  beams  and  girders,  shall  be  in  accordance  with  the  building  laws  of  the 
nearest  important  city,  but  no  floors  shall  be  less  than  four  inches  thick.  Room  partitions  shall  be  not  less  than  foui 
inches  thick.  Closet  partitions  may  be  three  inches  thick. 

Reinforcement  of  Floors,  Beams  and  Walls  shall  be  figured  according  to  approved  building  regulations.  In 
general,  floor  reinforcement  shall  run  both  ways,  each  supporting  wall  and  partition  being  considered  as  an  unyielding 
support  and  additional  supports  in  the  form  of  reinforced  concrete  beams  being  provided  in  the  larger  rooms  where 
necessary  or  economical.  Each  floor  shall  constitute  one  continuous  slab,  bonded  by  reinforcing  steel  into  each  wall  and 
each  partition. 

Interior  Painting.  All  concrete  floors,  except  in  basement,  shall  be  painted  with  suitable  concrete  paint,  unless 
wooden  floors  are  to  be  applied  above  the  concrete.  Interior  walls  may  all  be  similarly  treated,  in  which  case  no  plastering 
whatever  will  be  required.  Such  treatment  may  be  applied  throughout,  or  to  certain  parts  of  the  house,  such  as  bath 
room,  kitchen,  laundry,  etc. 

Plastering  may  be  applied  to  all  inside  walls,  preparing  them  for  papering,  if  desired.  Only  a  very  thin  white 
coat  is  desirable. 

Hot  Air  Ducts,  Ventilating  Pipes,  Gas  Pipes,  and  other  conduits  must  be  provided  for  in  arranging  the  partitions. 
Usually  they  may  be  encased  in  the  concrete  partition  walls,  or  run  in  closets  specially  provided  for  them. 

Metal  Trim  may  be  used  in  place  of  wooden  trim  for  all  window  and  door  frames,  etc.,  if  desired,  but  wooden  trim 
may  also  be  used  fastened  to  inserts  in  the  concrete. 

Wooden  Floors  may  be  placed  on  top  of  concrete  floors,  fastened  to  wooden  nailing  strips,  which  may  be  secured 
to  the  concrete  bv  bolts  and  inserts. 


Why  use  Steel  Forms  to  build  Houses  ? 

Reinforced  concrete  buildings  are  the  most  fireproof,  the  most  enduring,  the  strongest  of  structures.  Foundations,  walls,  floors 
and  roofs,  or  as  many  of  them  as  desired,  may  be  cast  as  one  stone,  so  as  to  be  snug,  warm  and  vermin  proof,  tensile  stresses  being 
cared  for  by  the  steel  reinforcing. 

Reinforced  concrete  houses  must  not  be  confused  with  structures  of  concrete  blocks,  or  of  stucco,  to  which  they  are  much 
superior.  Block  houses  are  not  monolithic,  and  cannot  be  truly  reinforced;  and  the  blocks  are  very  much  more  porous  than  cast  concrete 
This  is  true  of  blocks  molded  in  place  on  the  wall,  as  well  as  of  those  cast  in  a  factory.  Stucco  houses  are  plastered  with  a  mixture  o 
cement,  lime  and  sand,  lime  being  a  material  not  used  in  true  concrete.  Plaster  containing  Hme  will  not  permanently  protect  meta 
against  corrosion.  The  plaster  used  in  stucco  must  be  supported  by  lath,  and  some  form  of  studding,  which  may  be  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  materials  permanently  entering  into  a  reinforced  concrete  house  cost  less  than  those  in  a  good  brick  house ;  but  a  concrete 
house  has  to  be  cast  in  a  mold,  which  must  be  furnished,  erected  and  taken  down,  but  which  does  not  enter  permanently  into  the 
building. 

Molds,  or  fonns,  for  this  kind  of  work,  when  constructed  of  wood,  cost  from  eight  cents  per  square  foot  of  wall  surface,  for  the 
simplest  kind  of  foundations,  to  more  than  20  cents  per  square  foot,  for  columns,  beams  and  girders.  The  lumber  used  in  wooden 
forms  is  cut  to  fit  each  time  it  is  erected,  and  consequently  can  be  used  only  a  few  times.  Therefore,  if  a  concrete  house  is  poured  into 
wooden  forms,  the  first  cost  will  exceed  the  first  cost  of  a  frame  house  by  quite  a  considerable  sum. 

Our  molds,  or  forms,  made  of  steel,  are  practically  indestructible,  and  retain  their  shape  indefinitely.  Their  erection  is  so 
simple  a  matter  that  they  can  be  set  up  and  taken  down  for  one  fifth  the  labor  expended  in  erecting  and  taking  down  wooden  forms; 
and  they  guarantee  far  better  work,  as  they  produce  straight  walls  automatically.  Thus  it  is  readily  seen  that  poured  concrete  houses 
can  be  built  economically  only  by  those  who  provide  themselves  with  the  proper  equipment.  Under  favorable  conditions  the  cost  of  a 
house  with  poured  concrete  walls  may  be  less  than  the  cost  of  a  well  constructed  frame  house. 

The  labor  saving  and  durable  steel  form,  therefore,  removes  the  chief  obstacle  that  has  been  in  the  way  of  the  more  general 
adoption  of  the  small  reinforced  concrete  house.  The  first  cost  of  a  set  of  steel  forms  is  not  great. 

The  Blaw  Steel  Construetion  Company  has  been  manufacturing  steel  forms  for  important  concrete  construction  since  1906. 
We  have  furnished  forms,  at  the  present  uniting,  on  over  6,000  contracts  in  this  country.  The  Blaw  System  has  been  used  in  the  con¬ 
struction  of  such  important  works  as  the  Panama  Canal,  Catskill  Aqueduct,  New  York  State  Barge  Canal,  New  York  Subways,  as  well 
as  the  most  important  private,  municipal  and  governmental  improvements  built  in  recent  years. 


a 


Blaw  Steel  House  Forms  consist  of  panels  of  steel  plates  and  accessories  for  connecting  these  plates 
together  rigidly,  so  as  to  form  a  mold  for  walls  of  ant'  desired  dimensions,  with  provision  for  corners,  and  for  all 
ordinary  details  required  in  house  building.  Walls  constructed  with  the  Blaw  System  are  of  absolutely  uniform 
thickness,  straight  and  smooth.  It  is  never  necessary  to  cut  or  waste  any  part  of  the  form  to  secure  correct 
dimensions,  consequently  there  is  no  waste  of  form  material. 

Blaw  Forms  require  less  labor  to  erect  and  to  shift  than  do  any  others.  The  extra  work  of  spacing  the 
forms  at  the  proper  distance  apart  is  eliminated  in  the  Blaw  System.  We  use  four  fasteners  only  per  panel  of 
four  square  feet — one  fastener  per  square  foot  of  form.  Our  spacers  are  between  the  flanges  of  the  panels  and 
are  secured  by  these  same  fasteners,  so  that  the  spacing  is  accomplished  automatically  as  the  panels  are  fastened. 
In  all  other  systems  the  panels  are  first  erected  and  assembled,  and  subsequently  spaced,  requiring  additional 
labor  and  care.  More  labor  is  required  to  line  up  and  to  space  the  panels  in  other  sytems,  after  they  have  been 
assembled,  than  is  required  to  set  up  forms  of  the  Blaw  System  ready  to  receive  the  concrete. 

We  do  not  assemble  our  panels  loosely,  and  later  go  over  and  tighten  the  fasteners.  Each  fastener  is 
driven  tight  when  it  is  inserted,  which  is  when  the  panel  is  set  in  position,  and  it  is  not  touched  again  until  it  is 
removed  to  take  down  the  panel. 

One  man  can  work  alone  to  advantage,  erecting  or  shifting  the  panels,  as  there  is  no  operation  requiring 
two  men;  or  as  many  men  as  desired  may  work  together  or  independently,  on  the  same  job,  without  loss  of 
efficiency.  This  is  a  great  advantage  in  regulating  the  working  organization,  as  nobody  need  wait  on  somebody  else. 

The  wall  is  kept  in  perfect  alignment  by  a  system  of  steel  liners,  held  in  place  by  the  same  type  of  fastener 
as  is  used  to  couple  the  panels  together.  These  liners  not  only  hold  the  plates  in  line  but  clamp  them  tightly  to 
the  spacers  so  as  to  secure  great  stiffness  in  the  assembled  form.  Our  ingenious  combination  of  panels,  spacers, 
liners  and  fasteners  enables  us  to  care  for  all  variations  in  the  dimensions  of  walls. 

We  employ  fewer  kinds  of  parts  than  any  other  system.  Our  fastener  is  the  simplest  and  the  most  efficient, 
and  is  adapted  to  a  wider  range  of  use.  We  need  no  bolts,  no  pipes,  no  wrenches,  no  wires,  no  turnbuckles, 
because  our  system  has  eliminated  the  operations  for  which  these  devices  are  required. 

Complete  details  regarding  these  forms,  and  illustrations  of  work  conducted  with  them,  as  well  as  informa¬ 
tion  regarding  prices,  furnished  upon  application. 

BLAW  STEEL  CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY. 


Blaw  Patents. 

May  5,  1903 

August  23,  1904 
Sept.  18,  1906 

April  23,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

May  21,  1907 

Nov.  19,  1907 

Aug.  31,  1909 

Aug.  31,  1909 

Jan.  II,  1910 

Jan.  II,  1910 

Jan.  II,  1910 

Aug.  16,  1910 

Sept.  27,  1910 
Oct.  18,  1910 
Oct.  18,  1910 

Dec.  20,  1910 
Nov.  28,  1911 

Other  Patents  Pending. 


